Self Publishing Guide

Print on Demand

Our print-on-demand site in Eastbourne was established to produce short runs of unsewn limp books (up to 200 copies) and very short runs of case bound books (up to 12 copies) at extremely competitive prices. Costs are based on 4 elements:

1) Set up charge - This will depend upon how you supply the copy and includes a bound book proof. It is only payable with the first order.

2) Production charge - A price per copy which remains fixed, regardless of the quantity of books ordered and the number of times the title is printed.

3) Delivery charge - Based on weight of consignment.

4) Annual file storage charge - Payable as part of the set-up charge and subsequently invoiced each year. If the annual charge is not paid, the files are deleted from our system and the full set-up charge would be incurred if a reprint was required at a later date.

An Excel spreadsheet to calculate print-on-demand prices is downloadable from the estimate request page or we can e-mail over a price list in Microsoft ‘Word’ format, upon request. For all non print-on-demand enquiries we will submit a bespoke estimate.

Digital or Litho Printing?

We usually quote for the most cost-effective method of production. For shorter runs this would be digital printing, whilst for longer runs – the exact quantity varies depending upon trimmed size, extent and binding style but as a guide is usually 300-400 copies for limp books and 100-200 copies for case bound books - we would print on our litho (ink) presses. The quality of text and line illustrations for both methods is comparable. However, halftones (photographs) printed digitally are at a resolution approximately 50% lower than that achievable on a litho press - a noticeable difference.

Book Sizes

Most books are produced to a size between A6 (148 x 105mm) and A4 (297 x 210mm). We stock paper for common book sizes such as Demy (216 x 138mm), A5 (210 x 148mm) Royal (234 x 156mm). There are no additional charges for producing books to a non-standard format.

Extent (number of pages)

We are unable to produce an accurate estimate without knowing the extent. If it is not possible to supply this, please give an indication of the number of words in the book. We will base our quote upon an average number of words per page. The final extent will depend upon the typeface, font size and margins you choose. For work printed on our litho presses, multiples of 32 pages are the most economic extents, followed by 16’s, then 8’s. Digitally printed books are usually produced to the exact extent.

Source Material

We are able to produce books from almost anything you supply. However, the amount of work required will be reflected in the price. The most common methods of submitting text, in order of preference and cost, are:

PDF files – Ideally created using the Adobe Distiller software, for which we are able to supply our own settings file, or Adobe InDesign. In addition, there are many freeware PDF programs available to download from the web but most are not capable of creating compatible files. One program that is suitable is available from: http://www.pdf995.com

Postscript files – It is possible to create a Postscript file from most software packages. Below are instructions for creating a file from Microsoft Word, although the principles are the same for other programs. a) Ensure that your book is formatted to the correct trimmed page size and the text for each page appears on screen exactly as it is to appear in the printed book. Embed the fonts by selecting Tools on the taskbar, Options , Save tab, tick the Embed TrueType font box and then save the document and close down Word. b) From the Windows Start menu select the Settings option and click on the Printers icon. Select Add A New Printer , choose Local Printer and from the various printers listed, highlight the Linotronic 330 if you are using Windows 95/98 or one of the Agfa Accuset printers for later versions of Windows. Follow the on-screen instructions and make the Linotronic/Accuset your default printer on LPT1 but do not attempt to print a test page. When loaded, right click on the printer icon, select the General tab then Printing Preferences , click on Advanced and change the Truetype font option to Download as Softfont . Also change the Postscript output option to Optimise for Portability .

c) Open your Word document and check each page to ensure that the text has not reflowed (a possibility when changing your default printer driver). If it has, you will have to make the necessary corrections then select Print from the File menu on the toolbar and tick the Print to file box, checking first that the printer is the Linotronic or Accuset. d) When you click on OK a new file will then be created with the extension *.prn. This file will be much larger than your original file and it may not be possible to save all the files onto a single floppy disk. In this instance you will have to split the book down into individual chapters and save them onto several disks. If you own a Zip drive, CD writer or other high capacity storage device you should not have this problem. Work containing illustrations could be extremely large and should be broken down into files no larger than 50MB.

Finally, remember to change your default printer back to your usual device.

Camera ready copy – A high quality print-out that we would scan to create a file compatible with our equipment. If producing on a desk top printer the resolution should be set to a minimum of 600dpi to obtain a good result and ensure that the ink density (i.e. the ‘blackness’) is consistent throughout the copy as any variation would be duplicated on press.

Other file formats – If you are unable to create a PDF or Postscript file we would be able to do this for you and supply a set of proofs for an additional charge. Prices would be subject to receiving a sample file.

Manuscript – Either handwritten or typed, we would typeset to your specification and supply proofs.

Papers

There are three different types of papers which we stock in a range of weights expressed in ‘grams per square metre’ (gsm). Higher grammage papers result in less showthrough (the amount of ink visible on the reverse of the page you are reading), higher costs and a heavier book, which may affect the cost of carriage if you intend to post books to your customers. 80gsm is a standard weight for cartridges and woves.

Book woves – a bulky paper available in both white and cream shades with a rough surface used mainly for publications containing text only (novels, poetry books etc.) or for low extent titles to give additional bulk. Not very suitable for reproduction of photographs or fine line illustrations.

Cartridges – a paper with a smooth white surface suitable for text and line illustrations.

Coated cartridges – particularly suitable for halftone illustrations on litho presses.

It is possible to use a combination of papers in a book, usually a book wove or cartridge for the text and art paper for a plate section.

Covers / Jackets

Usually printed in 1 or more colours in ink or digitally on a colour press. A 4 colour cover means full colour. After printing the cover is normally sealed by gloss or matt lamination. It is possible to emboss covers or matt laminate with areas overprinted in a gloss varnish. However, these options are expensive and probably not viable for shorter runs of books.

Binding Styles

Our in-house bindery is capable of producing cased, limp and loose-leaf work. We are also able to arrange wire stitching and wiro binding. Cased and limp books may be unsewn, notched or sewn (unsewn and notched binding are the same price, but notched binding is not available for books printed on our digital presses). A sewn book is more durable and expensive, than an unsewn book and is only usually necessary for publications referred to regularly, such as dictionaries or high extent titles, where the sewing adds additional strength to the binding.

Limp binding – also called softback or paperback binding.

Cased binding - (also called hardback or cloth binding) There are two main case binding styles: i) With a printed paper cover pasted down to the boards (also known as PPC binding) or ii) with cases made from imitation or real cloth and embossed. A jacket is optional.

Loose-leaf binding - is common for reference work where text may need to be easily updated. Pages are drilled for insertion into a ring-binder.

Wiro binding - is useful for reference books that are designed to lay flat (e.g. cookery books and workshop reference manuals).

Wire stitching - (also called saddle stitching) is used for magazines or low extent titles where the text bulk is insufficient to limp bind.

Packing / Delivery

Our estimate will include packing into bulk cartons and delivering to your home address, or to a designated warehouse, unless otherwise stated. Books will be despatched as soon as they have been bound.

Production Time

From receipt of material ready for printing most titles are produced within 3-5 weeks. If you have a specific date you require books, it is advisable to call a month before you intend to supply copy and book space. We would recommend that if planning a launch party or book signing you aim to receive books at least a week earlier, should complications with copy/files arise which may affect the production schedule.

Payment

For an established company able to supply a bank and 3 trade references we are able to offer 30 day trading terms. Otherwise, we would require 50% of the order value with your copy, the balance payable after approval of sample copies and before we deliver the bulk. We can accept payment by cash, cheque or BACS transfer. We are unable to accept credit cards.

Run on price

In addition to quoting for the quantity requested we also show a run on price. You may pro-rata this figure to calculate alternative order quantities. For example, if we quote for 500 copies with a 100 run on, the cost of producing 750 copies would be the 500 copy price added to 2.5 x the 100 run on price. The run on price should not be confused with a reprint price.

ISBN Numbers

These must be obtained by the publisher. Whilst it is not compulsory to apply for an ISBN number, if you intend to sell your title through bookshops or over the internet, it is advisable to obtain one. Once the title has been allocated a number, it will enable booksellers and potential buyers to identify the book, place an order or contact you.

To purchase a block of numbers you must contact the ISBN Agency (Tel: 0870 777 8712). Prices currently start from £75.00 including VAT. Further information about ISBN numbers is available on their web site: http://www.whitaker.co.uk/isbn.htm

Barcodes

The barcodes seen on covers and jackets are generated from the ISBN number. Bookshops do like publications to have barcodes and may charge an additional premium for handling titles supplied without one. It is also possible, but much less common, to have a separate barcode for the price. If not generating the barcode yourself, leave an area approximately 25 x 40mm blank in your artwork. Although barcodes are usually black, it is possible to print them in other dark colours.

Reprinting

Regardless of how you supply text copy to us, we convert it into a digital format compatible with our equipment. We store these files for several years without charge and are able to use the files for both litho and digital printing. Note that the set up charge and annual storage charge would still apply for titles transferred to our print-on- demand facility.

Details about copyright are available from The Patent Office’s website at: http://www.patent.gov.uk/copy/indetail/ownership.htm

VAT

Books and magazines are not subject to VAT. However, publications considered to be stationery items, such as diaries and address books, are. A PDF document containing further information is available for download from: http://www.hmce.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/downloadFile?contentID=HMCE_CL_000102